I used to be Britain's longest-running wrestling blogger. Then I got a proper job.

Monday, 31 December 2001

Sam

Those of you who have visited my website recently will know that in the last week or so, I added a photos section where I placed photos of my dogs and cats. Many of you would probably have seen the photo of Sam, full name Samwise Smuggins Radbourne, my companion of the last fifteen years.
At about 3pm this afternoon, Sam died of pneumonia.

This is by far the hardest thing I have ever written. At the moment, slowly recovering from a glandular virus which leaves me more tired than anything, I feel like a large part of me has been ripped away.

Sam had been with me since just before I turned 15. He joined our family the same day as Shep, who himself passed away just a few months ago.

Looking back, Sam really hasn't been the same since he lost his oldest friend. At least now the original dynamic duo of our family are together again.

Sam collapsed, with breathing difficulties, around lunchtime. I managed to get him over to the vet, but I knew before that that perhaps I was losing him. Sam was acting the same way Shep had when we lost him.

The vet examined him, and said that Sam had an enormous build up of fluid on his chest and in his lungs. He wanted to keep him in overnight for observation, but warned me that the chances of his surviving the night were 50/50.

After giving Sam an injection to help relieve some of the pain and to help with his breathing, they began to prepare him for his overnight stay. A few seconds later, Sam passed away.

It will take me some time to get over this loss. Sam, like Shep before him, had been with me for nearly half of my life. I feel now that I have a massive hole in my life, and it will take a while for me to fill that hole, if I ever can.